Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA RA 10 80
Apply for DARPA RA 10 80
- The DARPA Transformational Convergence Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PROgramming Computation on EncryptEd Data" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.910 Research and Technology Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 8, 2010 and posted on Jul 7, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
PROgramming Computation on EncryptEd Data (PROCEED) is a DARPA research funding opportunity focused on making it realistically possible to compute on sensitive information while it remains encrypted. The central idea is to enable devices and systems to perform meaningful computations on ciphertexts without ever decrypting the underlying plaintext, which would allow data to stay protected even while it is being processed. DARPA frames this as a push for genuinely new, high-impact breakthroughs rather than incremental tuning of existing approaches, and it explicitly discourages proposals that mainly deliver evolutionary improvements to the current state of practice.
A key objective of PROCEED is not only to advance the cryptography itself, but also to create modern programming language tools that let developers describe and implement computations intended to run on encrypted data. In other words, DARPA is looking for a full stack: cryptographic methods that make encrypted computation feasible in practice, plus higher-level programming abstractions that make those methods usable by real programmers and system builders. The broader PROCEED program is described as having six major research thrusts (detailed in a related DARPA Broad Agency Announcement, BAA 10-81), and this particular Research Announcement (RA 10-80) is one piece within that larger program structure.
This RA specifically targets the highest-risk area: new mathematical foundations for efficient fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). Fully homomorphic encryption is highlighted because it supports computation directly on encrypted values in a way that mirrors ordinary arithmetic on plaintext. The opportunity description references foundational work in the area (including Rivest and later schemes by Gentry and others) and emphasizes the defining capabilities of FHE: given encryptions E(x) and E(y), it should be possible to produce an encryption of x+y using only ciphertext operations, and likewise produce an encryption of x*y using only ciphertext operations, without access to the secret key. Another important property called out is that ciphertext size should not grow with the number of additions and multiplications performed, reflecting a requirement for scalability that avoids ciphertext blow-up as computations get longer or more complex. In practical terms, DARPA is asking researchers to develop new theory and constructions that make FHE significantly more efficient, scalable, and suitable for real-world computing workloads.
The solicitation is set up as a dual-track structure. The intent is to attract broad participation in the most speculative, foundational mathematics work on FHE (where breakthroughs could be transformative but the risk is high), while reducing overall program risk by steering other supporting research on computation over encrypted data into the broader BAA 10-81. That means teams with ideas outside the narrow “new mathematical foundations for FHE” focus are directed to submit those concepts through the companion solicitation, while this RA is reserved for the core cryptographic foundations.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by DARPA under the Transformational Convergence Technology Office. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial government involvement during the performance of the work compared to a standard grant. It is categorized as discretionary research and development funding under CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning proposals can be submitted by a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility details in the full announcement. There is no cost sharing requirement. The posting date is July 7, 2010, and the closing date listed is August 24, 2010, with the opportunity later archived on January 3, 2011. Award floor and ceiling are listed as 0 in the summary data, which generally indicates that specific award sizes are not declared in that field and would be governed by the full announcement and proposal selection decisions. For access issues or questions about the full announcement, the listed point of contact is Drew Dean at DARPA.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DARPA PROCEED (RA 10-80)
1) What is the PROCEED program trying to accomplish?
PROgramming Computation on EncryptEd Data (PROCEED) is a DARPA research effort aimed at making it realistically possible to compute on sensitive information while it remains encrypted. The goal is to enable devices and systems to perform meaningful computations on ciphertexts without decrypting the underlying plaintext, so data can stay protected even during processing.
2) What makes this opportunity different from typical incremental research calls?
DARPA positions PROCEED as a push for genuinely new, high-impact breakthroughs rather than incremental tuning of existing approaches. Proposals that mainly deliver evolutionary improvements to the current state of practice are explicitly discouraged in the description provided.
3) What is the specific focus of this Research Announcement (RA 10-80)?
This RA targets the highest-risk area within PROCEED: new mathematical foundations for efficient fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). It is reserved for core cryptographic foundations work intended to produce major leaps in feasibility, efficiency, and scalability of FHE.
4) How does RA 10-80 relate to the broader PROCEED effort and BAA 10-81?
PROCEED is described as having six major research thrusts detailed in a related DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA 10-81). RA 10-80 is one piece within that larger program structure, and it is the narrow solicitation focused on the foundational mathematics of efficient FHE. Supporting or adjacent research is intended to be routed through the companion BAA 10-81 rather than this RA.
5) What kinds of research topics belong in RA 10-80 versus the companion solicitation?
Based on the description, RA 10-80 is for new mathematical foundations that enable efficient, scalable fully homomorphic encryption. Ideas outside that narrow focus (for example, other supporting research on computation over encrypted data that is not primarily new FHE mathematical foundations) are directed to the broader BAA 10-81.
6) What is fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) in the context of this opportunity?
Fully homomorphic encryption is highlighted because it supports computation directly on encrypted values in a way that mirrors ordinary arithmetic on plaintext. The description emphasizes that, given encryptions E(x) and E(y), one should be able to produce an encryption of x+y using only ciphertext operations, and likewise an encryption of x*y using only ciphertext operations, without access to the secret key.
7) What core capabilities of FHE are emphasized by DARPA in this announcement?
The opportunity description calls out two defining capabilities: (1) the ability to compute additions and multiplications directly over ciphertexts so the results decrypt to the same values as if the operations were performed on plaintext, and (2) scalability requirements such as avoiding ciphertext size growth as computations get longer or more complex.
8) What does the announcement mean by avoiding ciphertext "blow-up"?
The description states an important property: ciphertext size should not grow with the number of additions and multiplications performed. This is framed as a scalability requirement so encrypted computations can remain practical as the computation depth and complexity increase.
9) What is DARPA asking researchers to deliver under this RA?
DARPA is asking researchers to develop new theory and constructions that make fully homomorphic encryption significantly more efficient, scalable, and suitable for real-world computing workloads. The focus is on foundational mathematics that can change what is feasible in practice.
10) Is PROCEED only about cryptography?
No. A key objective of PROCEED is not only to advance cryptography, but also to create modern programming language tools that let developers describe and implement computations intended to run on encrypted data. The broader program is framed as a full stack: cryptographic methods plus higher-level programming abstractions that make those methods usable by real programmers and system builders. However, this specific RA (10-80) is focused on new mathematical foundations for efficient FHE.
11) What is meant by "programming language tools" for encrypted computation?
The description indicates DARPA wants higher-level programming abstractions and tools that allow developers to describe and implement computations designed to run on encrypted data. This is part of making encrypted computation usable in real systems, though such supporting work is generally positioned within the broader PROCEED structure and companion solicitation rather than the narrow FHE-foundations RA.
12) What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The description notes that this typically implies substantial government involvement during performance compared to a standard grant.
13) Which DARPA office is issuing this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by DARPA under the Transformational Convergence Technology Office.
14) What is the CFDA number and program category for this funding?
It is categorized as discretionary research and development funding under CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development).
15) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning proposals can be submitted by a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility details in the full announcement.
16) Is cost sharing required?
No cost sharing requirement is stated in the information provided.
17) What are the key dates for this opportunity?
The posting date is July 7, 2010. The closing date listed is August 24, 2010. The opportunity was later archived on January 3, 2011.
18) Are award sizes specified?
The summary data lists the award floor and ceiling as 0. This generally indicates that specific award sizes are not declared in that summary field and would be governed by the full announcement and proposal selection decisions.
19) Why does the opportunity use a dual-track structure?
The solicitation is described as dual-track to attract broad participation in speculative, high-risk foundational mathematics work on FHE (where breakthroughs could be transformative) while reducing overall program risk by steering other supporting research into the broader BAA 10-81.
20) Who is the point of contact for access issues or questions about the full announcement?
The listed point of contact is Drew Dean at DARPA.
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